Pretty sad situation to my mind. I have to agree with Paws and the rest of you...and will have to refrain from posting any more images here, which makes this forum pretty worthless as a vehicle to share knowledge & information with friends. What a shame, but it looks like the corporate wizards at iVillage have decided that the folks who make up this forum and have spent years making it what it is (was)are nothing more than fodder for use in their own advertising & merchandising machinery. I've only been a "regular" here for a couple of years and can't imagine how some of you "founders" must feel about all this. This was without question one of the finest forums and greatest groups of folks I've ever encountered on the web. It seems especially criminal that what you all have built through your contributions, kindness and willingness to share freely is being brought down by yet another "buy out". To my simple mind, this forum rightly belongs to you, not some faceless beancounter who is willing to sacrifice the golden goose for a few click-throughs converted to cash. No doubt, theirs will be a profitable venture, but at what cost to you? As for me, I just can't go along with the new "landlords" deal. No doubt I'll likely get locked out after this, but out of respect for the good and kind folks who have put so much into creating such a very special and uniquely free haven that welcomed any and all who were anxious to learn and willing to share in the spirit of the common good...I must protest. And if that means I get evicted for expressing myself in this matter, then it is indeed time to move on and leave the new owners to their business. I will miss you all terribly, and I sincerely hope that we meet again somewhere in cyberspace. Only next time, I hope it is on a truly free and member-owned forum. One that belongs to the people who rightfully own it by virtue of having built it. 'Til then..."So long, and thanks for all the fish." Tango

About to start my first ever vegetable garden on a very small (75 sq ft) area. Soil in this area was full of bits of trash and who knows what else, so to play it safe I had 12" of soil dug up and hauled away, and 12" of new topsoil delivered. Sent sample of new soil to Penn State for testing; results are below. I am hoping to plant lettuce, peas, and other early crops in a couple of weeks. In the next few days, I plan to add the following to the soil: - approx. 1 lb elemental sulfur (guidelines on test results say to use 1.25 lb/100 sq ft to bring 7.5 pH soil to 6.5) - approx. 0.375 urea (test results suggest 0.5 lb per 100 sq ft, although I'm not really sure why, since the test doesn't include nitrogen) - couple inches of compost (I'll use what I can from my own bins, but I doubt there's much finished compost there, so most of it will come from the city compost site) - inch or so of peat moss - 0.75 lb. of kelp meal (from Gardens Alive -- I happen to have a bag of it) Does this plan seem reasonable? Also, what's with the hugely high calcium level? I assume this is related to the high pH? Is there anything I should do about this? Thanks in advance for the feedback. Image link:

Hi maxych & all, the wet is back again? Cyclones hitting the northern east cost of Australia, as well as from the West cost as well this time? Where I am, seems to be the safest place as we are only getting excessive wet. To distract from the doom & gloom here are a few other dahlia flowers (Australian cultivar from what I have been told); Breannon strange mauve yellow pink charm dahlia with great form; Formby Art another choice flower with good form; Mrs A Woods, large flower, great form & color; cheers allan

Great pictures. The flooding there looks like it has been horrific. I can't even imagine. Well, I have wanted Citrix, and yours looks nice. I think Rita posted it some time ago, and I have had it on my radar, and of course Maryott has it on their website, so this is a sign, that I must get it!!! your daylilies look good to me. Also, when I first opened this up all of the pictures were there, then when I came back only Citrix is showing, and the other is blank with a red X in the corner. Maybe it is my computer? cindy